Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa ...Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.展开更多
This study, which assesses the quality of soils under cocoa trees in the Marahoué region of Côte d’Ivoire, is being carried out against a backdrop of declining crop yields due to a number of factors, includ...This study, which assesses the quality of soils under cocoa trees in the Marahoué region of Côte d’Ivoire, is being carried out against a backdrop of declining crop yields due to a number of factors, including the loss of soil fertility. The aim was to identify homogeneous groups of soils in terms of fertility and propose sustainable management methods for each group. The study was carried out on twenty-four cocoa orchards belonging to the SCOOP KAPATCHIVA cooperative, spread over eight sectors. A morphological characterisation of the soils was carried out in the field, followed by physico-chemical laboratory analyses of soil samples taken in the field. Soil fertility was analyzed on the basis of these two groups of data. The results showed that soil depths were generally high, except in some high altitude areas, where soils were often enriched in ferromagnesian elements and compacted. The texture of the soils varied between loamy and sandy-loamy, influencing cocoa production. Indeed, the soils of the plots with high production were looser and without ferromagnesian concretions, while those of the plots with low production were more gravelly and compact. Biological activity in the upper soil layer (0 - 30 cm) was notable with an abundance of termites and earthworms. The organic matter and nitrogen content varies considerably between sectors, directly impacting soil fertility. The soils were slightly acidic and showed significant differences in the levels of exchangeable magnesium and potassium, and not at all for phosphorus which appeared at very low doses. Chemical analysis also revealed that nutrient balance was a key factor in orchard productivity, with varying ratios of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Knowledge of these results made it possible to make recommendations for soil management with a view to improving cocoa yields in the study area.展开更多
Labour is generally in short supply in peasant production particularly in the rural areas in Nigeria. There is also an unpredictable pattern of use of labour in cocoa farms. This has a negative implication on the leve...Labour is generally in short supply in peasant production particularly in the rural areas in Nigeria. There is also an unpredictable pattern of use of labour in cocoa farms. This has a negative implication on the level and quality of farm output among small holder farmers. The study investigated the effects of labour use patterns on productivity of cocoa farms in south western Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select the respondents and the data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and stochastic efficiency frontier function. Many farms （80%） were less than 5 hectares in size and sharecropping was the most dominant of the labour types on the farms. Adult male labour constituted about 69% of the total labour- use on the plantations and the majority of the labour was involved in the application of agrochemicals and harvesting of cocoa pods. The quantity of harvested cocoa beans, size of cleared understoreys and quantity of applied agrochemicals significantly affected （at 5% level） the labour-use efficiency in cocoa plantations. Poor remunerations often discourage prospective farm labour from participating in cocoa production. Better farm labour supply level could be achieved if the remuneration for farm labour is handsomely increased.展开更多
文摘Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.
文摘This study, which assesses the quality of soils under cocoa trees in the Marahoué region of Côte d’Ivoire, is being carried out against a backdrop of declining crop yields due to a number of factors, including the loss of soil fertility. The aim was to identify homogeneous groups of soils in terms of fertility and propose sustainable management methods for each group. The study was carried out on twenty-four cocoa orchards belonging to the SCOOP KAPATCHIVA cooperative, spread over eight sectors. A morphological characterisation of the soils was carried out in the field, followed by physico-chemical laboratory analyses of soil samples taken in the field. Soil fertility was analyzed on the basis of these two groups of data. The results showed that soil depths were generally high, except in some high altitude areas, where soils were often enriched in ferromagnesian elements and compacted. The texture of the soils varied between loamy and sandy-loamy, influencing cocoa production. Indeed, the soils of the plots with high production were looser and without ferromagnesian concretions, while those of the plots with low production were more gravelly and compact. Biological activity in the upper soil layer (0 - 30 cm) was notable with an abundance of termites and earthworms. The organic matter and nitrogen content varies considerably between sectors, directly impacting soil fertility. The soils were slightly acidic and showed significant differences in the levels of exchangeable magnesium and potassium, and not at all for phosphorus which appeared at very low doses. Chemical analysis also revealed that nutrient balance was a key factor in orchard productivity, with varying ratios of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Knowledge of these results made it possible to make recommendations for soil management with a view to improving cocoa yields in the study area.
文摘Labour is generally in short supply in peasant production particularly in the rural areas in Nigeria. There is also an unpredictable pattern of use of labour in cocoa farms. This has a negative implication on the level and quality of farm output among small holder farmers. The study investigated the effects of labour use patterns on productivity of cocoa farms in south western Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select the respondents and the data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and stochastic efficiency frontier function. Many farms （80%） were less than 5 hectares in size and sharecropping was the most dominant of the labour types on the farms. Adult male labour constituted about 69% of the total labour- use on the plantations and the majority of the labour was involved in the application of agrochemicals and harvesting of cocoa pods. The quantity of harvested cocoa beans, size of cleared understoreys and quantity of applied agrochemicals significantly affected （at 5% level） the labour-use efficiency in cocoa plantations. Poor remunerations often discourage prospective farm labour from participating in cocoa production. Better farm labour supply level could be achieved if the remuneration for farm labour is handsomely increased.
